PEROU – Cuzco - Workers doing cleanup along a river in southern Peru stumbled upon part of a pre-Hispanic, Inca-era altar believed to have been long-lost, the Culture Ministry said Wednesday. About 35 percent of the altar — weighing around 20 tons and decorated with detailed carving — was located on the bank of the Vilcanota River, in the Cuzco region. The hefty stone religious piece, dating from sometime between A.D. 1200 and 1500, is about 2.5 meters long and 1 meter tall (8 and 3 feet). “Now we have to recover it all, as fully as possible, and relocate it,” Oscar Montufar, coordinator of the Ollantaytambo Archaeological Park, told reporters, explaining that the alter had been used in water worship.

USA – St Augustine - At the site of a Cordova Inn in downtown St. Augustine, archaeologists discovered something rare. While construction crews were putting in a new swimming pool, they - and archaeologists who were monitoring the project - found a horse skeleton. "We estimate this horse to date between 1680 - 1700," St. Augustine Archaeologist Carl Halbirt says. "So, it's roughly 330 years old. It makes it one of the oldest horse burials on the U.S." Halbirt believes the animal was indeed buried because of the way the animal was placed in the ground. The horse was placed on its right side. By Wednesday morning, the archaeological crew had uncovered most of the animal's skeleton except for part of its head and feet. Halbirt estimated that the animal was about 40 inches high from its hooves to its shoulder, so a small horse.He said he knows the animal is in the equine family, and there's a possibility this could be a donkey. He added that there's a good possibility this skeleton could also be an ancestor of the modern day horse called a 'marsh tacky.' It's similar to the kind of horse the Spanish colonists brought to the new world. "The burial is next to the church hospital of La Soledad," Halbirt noted. "So it's quite possible this animal may have been used by one of the people who managed or ministered the church hospital of La Soledad in the 17th century."

TURQUIE – Antandros- Archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Antandros in the northwestern province of Balıkesir, where work has been continuing for 16 years, have revealed a number of ancient shops which sold cosmetics, indicating that women have been interested in such products for millennia. The adjacent shops were unearthed as the works neared an end in the ancient city. Aktaş said they had come from the western city of İzmir in July with a 25-person team, and continued: “This year’s works focused on finding the entrance of a Roman villa and finding the dimensions of the house. We found eight shops in the southern part of the city. Two of these shops were excavated. We found bowls in good condition in these shops. It is understood that the shops were mostly used for the sale of cosmetics and ceramic products. They were not public shops but owned by [private] individuals. Association for the Protection of Historical Antandros President Gülçin Cömert said that the expropriation works for the ancient city should be accelerated, and continued: “We have obtained various finds through excavations. This year it made us pleased that we found the traces of shops right below the Roman villa, which covers an area of some 1,200 square meters. These shops sold food, cosmetics and ceramic products. So women were interested in such things in ancient times. We are very excited about the next finds.” Cömert also noted that the excavation could not be extended because of an expropriation problem. The ancient finds in Antandros, which is located in the western slopes of Kaletaşı Hill, famous for its mosaics, date back to the 7th and 8th centuries B.C. During excavations at the site a Roman-era villa, a sewage system and a number of tombs have been unearthed. The city is known to have been seized during the Trojan war. http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/cosmetic-products-popular-in-ancient-times-.aspx?PageID=238&NID=104353&NewsCatID=375

ROYAUME UNI – Anglesey - Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of at least six people hidden under a church floor on Anglesey. The bones were discovered during a project to clean and restore a rare alabaster stone tomb at St Gredifael's Church near Menai Bridge.The tomb at Penmynydd is of Goronwy Tudur and his wife Myfanwy - part of Tudor family dynasty. Experts believe the bones could have been disturbed after earlier Victorian renovations. Archaeologists at the site said it had been a custom to bury the rich inside the church, and over time most of those bodies would be moved to graves outside. However, in the case of St Gredifael's it is clear those human skeletons remained. The church no longer holds services but because of its links to the Tudor kings and queens of Britain it holds an important place in history.

TURQUIE - Parion - Three tombs have been unearthed during excavations to repair a water pipe in the northwestern province of Çanakkale’s Biga district. Two of the tombs were opened and gold jewelry was found in one of them, while nothing of financial value was found in the other. The tombs, which were completely removed from the ground, were estimated to be an extension of a necropolis in the ancient city of Parion, which is two kilometers away from the area. The field in which the tombs were found was taken under protection by gendarmes. A handful of gold beads, a ring, three golden objects the size of bullets, two broaches and a mirror were among the artifacts discovered in the tombs. Examinations will reveal more information about the tombs, the officials said.